Thermal Analysis, Fjortende Julibukta

At the Southern shore of Fjortende Julibukta, Svalbard. By comparing the surface temperature (T1, red) under the jacket, before and after putting it on for 30 seconds. T1 rose by more than 3 degrees Celsius.

79°6'0" N, 11°48'0" E; 5th Oct.

Bockfjorden landing, 79°27,7' N, 013°12,3' E. Near by we spot a polar bear.

While shopping for winter jackets, I realised that it is impossible for me to tell where exactly the feathers of mass-produced down jackets came from [1]. Therefore, I attempted making my own down jacket in a relatively harmless way: by manually collecting the goose feathers on the grounds in the parks [2], riverbanks, and forests near my house in Breda, the Netherlands.

After two months of collecting [3], cleaning, filling and sewing, the jacket was put to test in the High Arctic (Spitsbergen archipelago) for three weeks to see if I can survive [4]. During this sailing expedition of The Arctic Circle Residency [5], I made 21 landings and glacier hikes between 78°17'N-80°02'N, wearing only this jacket and minimum base layers. A guide booklet “A Step by Step Guide for Making Your Own Down Jacket” was designed based on my experiences to allow everyone to make a down jacket from where they live.

[1] Despite recent regulations, there are debates about the percentage of down production that still involves animal-cruelty.

[2] These parks are common habitats for escaped farm geese, and migrating Canadian geese.